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Saturday November 7, 2009
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Saturday November 7, 2009
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Gary McCann, sports editor at The Herald in Rock Hill, S.C. for the past 10 years, was inducted into U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Hall of Fame April 6 at the NCAA Men's Final Four in Detroit.
He is among just 53 writers to have ever received the distinction.McCann, in his 38th year as a sportswriter, has covered 18 Final Fours and numerous ACC tournaments. He has won 10 USBWA wrting awards and more than 20 other state and national writing awards.For the second time in his career, Kansas City Star editorial cartoonist Lee Judge has won the esteemed Fischetti Award for editorial cartooning.
Judge won the 2009 Fischetti Award for his "Price of Gas," an anti-war cartoon depicting a soldier's helmet perched on a rifle.Judge, who has been with The Kansas City Star since 1981, holds the distinction of winning the very first Fischetti Award in 1982."The timing is wonderful," said Judge in the press release announcing his first-place win. "My job has recently become part-time and to win a prestigious, national award like this gives encouragement not only to me, but to the editors who fought to keep my cartoons in the paper."Editorial cartooning is struggling to survive, not because it lacks popularity, but because it's often not deemed absolutely crucial. I strongly disagree. If we're in a battle for readers, why get rid of the one person on a staff best equipped to compete with television and the internet?"The Fischetti Award is named after John Fischetti, the late Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist who worked for the New York Herald Tribune, the Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Sun-Times. The awards competition is administered and funded by the Fischetti Endowment at Columbia College Chicago.Judge, along with two runners up, will be honored at a reception in Chicago April 16.A McClatchy series on detainee abuse at U.S. prison facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in Afghanistan tied for top honors as the best newspaper investigative report of last year.
Investigative Reporters and Editors, the country's most prestigious organization of watchdog journalists, said on March 31 that the five-part series, Guantanamo: Beyond the Law," by McClatchy reporters Tom Lasseter and Matthew Schofield, "allowed the American public to find out what really happened at Gitmo and other American detention camps.""Equally impressive," the judges wrote, "was the commitment of the newspaper chain: The thorough findings in a five-part series were published on the front pages of 25 McClatchy newspapers."The series, initiated and coordinated by the McClatchy Washington Bureau, was based on interviews by Lasseter and Schofield with 66 former Guantanamo detainees, whom they tracked down in 11 countries over an eight-month period. It found that many of those swept up and transferred to Guantanamo had little, if anything, to do with international terrorism and that some actually had been allied with U.S. forces.The report also documented abuse at U.S. facilities in Afghanistan, where many of the former detainees said they'd been treated more severely than at Guantanamo, and quoted detainees who said the abuse had turned them from admirers of the U.S. into enemies.The series remains the largest systematic effort to document the experiences of people held at Guantanamo. It included an extensive Internet component, with a searchable database, individual stories on each of the detainees, videos of the detainees and an archive of official U.S. documents.Travis Heying, a photographer and videographer for McClatchy's Wichita Eagle newspaper, accompanied Lasseter on many of the critical interviews in Afghanistan.The project, which totaled nearly 108,000 words, can be viewed at www.mcclatchydc.com/detainees.The series tied for first place with the Detroit Free Press investigation of an affair between the Detroit mayor and an aide. The Free Press fought for four years to force the release of hundreds of text messages that documented the affair and proved that the city's subsequent payout of more than $9 million was an effort to cover up their lies.Five McClatchy newspapers were named among the winners March 24 in the Society of American Business Editors and Writers 14th annual "Best in Business" contest.
The Kansas City Star was honored for overall excellence as one of the three best newspaper business sections in the country among large newspapers with daily circulation of 225,000 to 325,000. It was the Star's second SABEW business section best in the last four years. The Miami Herald was also honored for overall excellence and named one of the three best business sections in the country among midsized newspapers with daily circulation of 125,000 to 225,000.The Charlotte Observer, meanwhile, won six awards overall, the highest number of awards among midsized newspapers. The six awards -- which stem from the paper's banking coverage and its investigation into the poultry industry -- are the most the newspaper has won in the 14 years SABEW has held its Best in Business contest.Each winning entry is now being considered for SABEW’s first-ever "Best of the Best" awards, honoring the very best of business journalism produced at newspapers, magazines and websites during 2008. Best of the Best winners will be announced April 27 in Denver.McClatchy’s individual award winners include:** The Charlotte Observer's coverage of Wells Fargo's surprise bid for Wachovia in the Breaking News category. Winners are reporters Rick Rothacker, Christina Rexrode, Jen Aronoff, Kerry Hall, Elizabeth Leland, Eric Frazier, Lisa Zagaroli, Jefferson George and Doug Smith; graphic artist Bill Pitzer; and editors Patrick Scott and Tony Mecia.** Reporter Andrew McIntosh at The Sacramento Bee in the Enterprise category for large publications for coverage of nail gun safety problems.** Reporter Rick Rothacker at The Charlotte Observer in the Enterprise category for his story "The Good Deal That Wasn't" on how the Golden West Financial deal weakened Wachovia and made it ripe for a takeover by Wells Fargo.**Mitchell Schnurman at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in the Columns category for midsized publications.** The Charlotte Observer for "The Cruelest Cuts," the paper’s investigation into the poultry industry, in the Projects category. The paper's investigation told readers how N.C.-based House of Raeford Farms hid injuries from federal regulators, blocked injured workers from seeing doctors and hauled others to work hours after surgery for broken bones and severed fingers. Winners are reporters Ames Alexander, Kerry Hall, Franco Ordonez and Peter St. Onge; photographer John Simmons; database editor Ted Mellnik; copy editors Reid Creager and Rogelio Aranda; designer Holly Farrant; graphic artists Bill Pitzer and Dave Puckett; online producers Dave Enna and Tony Lone Fight; staff researchers Marion Paynter and Maria David; and editors Jim Walser, Gary Schwab, Mitch Weiss, Glenn Burkins and Patrick Scott.** Reporters Matthew Haggman, Rob Barry and Jack Dolan at The Miami Herald in the Projects category for midsized publications for "Borrowers Betrayed," an investigation into the Florida mortgage crisis.** The Charlotte Observer for online excellence in the Breaking News category for coverage of Wells Fargo's takeover of Wachovia. Winning reporters are Rick Rothacker, Christina Rexrode, Jefferson George, Kirsten Valle, Jen Aronoff, Stella M. Hopkins, Fred Clasen-Kelly, Kerry Hall and Doug Smith; and online producers Deirdre McGruder, Trevor Freeze and Tony Lone Fight.** The Charlotte Observer for "The Cruelest Cuts" in the online Projects category. Winners are reporters Ames Alexander, Peter St. Onge, Franco Ordonez and Kerry Hall; photographer John Simmons; video producer Peter Weinberger; graphic artist Bill Pitzer; and online producer Tony Lone Fight.** Jason Gertzen and David Hayes at The Kansas City Star for their "Sprint Connection" blog in the Blog category for large websites. The blog focuses on Sprint Nextel, the Kansas City region's largest private employer.** The Charlotte Observer for "Cruelest Cuts" in the Creative Use of Online category. Winners are reporters Ames Alexander, Franco Ordonez, Kerry Hall and Peter St. Onge; database editor Ted Mellnik; copy editors Reid Creager and Rogelio Aranda; designer Holly Farrant; graphic artists Dave Puckett and Bill Pitzer; photographer John Simmons; online producers Dave Enna and Tony Lone Fight; video producer Peter Weinberger; staff researchers Marion Paynter and Maria David; and editors Jim Walser, Gary Schwab, Mitch Weiss, Glenn Burkins and Patrick Scott.Nothing in the sports journalism world has been quite as consistent as Kansas City Star columnist Joe Posnanski winning national awards.
Posnanski has been honored in nearly every writing category of the Associated Press Sports Editors contest over the last decade. Last month, Posnanski was recognized again as one of the nation's best sports columnists -- his eighth consecutive year in the Top 10.The final rankings will be announced in April; Posnanski has won first place twice.In APSE section judging, The Kansas City Star's "Sports Daily" continued its tradition of excellence by placing two out of three sections (daily and special) in the Top 10.The Sunday section received honorable mention. Over the last 10 years, competing against the biggest sports sections in the nation, the Star has claimed a stunning 23 out of 30 section Top 10s. That national "winning percentage" places Sports Daily among the top five for most decorated large-circulation sports sections over that span of time.Sports Daily writers also won two other Top 10 awards last month: Bill Reiter for explanatory journalism; and a team of Blair Kerkhoff, Brady McCollough, Jason Whitlock, Reiter and Posnanski for project reporting.It is the sixth straight showing in projects for the Star.A Charlotte Observer investigation into the multibillion dollar poultry industry -- including N.C.-based House of Raeford Farms -- has been awarded the Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Newspapers.
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, which administers the Taylor Award, announced the honor March 16 for "The Cruelest Cuts," reported by Ames Alexander, Kerry Hall, Franco Ordoñez and Peter St. Onge.The investigation, which also was produced by more than a dozen editors, photographers and designers, told readers how House of Raeford Farms hid injuries from federal regulators, blocked injured workers from seeing doctors and hauled others to work hours after surgery for broken bones and severed fingers."The Charlotte Observer's 'Cruelest Cuts' gives a voice to people who are rarely afforded one, and helped foster greater safety in an industry known for its unsafe and unsavory working conditions,” said Taylor Award judge Christine Chinlund. "The series opened with strong assertions but managed to support each one with facts and solid reporting. It did so even as it provided ample room for company response."Said judge Howard Witt: "This is a path-breaking series in the realm of fairness in journalism because it demonstrates why fairness is not merely an obligatory journalistic rule but a living, breathing value that, rigorously pursued, can make a story infinitely richer and more insightful."The Taylor Award program was established through an endowment by members of the Taylor family, who published The Boston Globe from 1872 to 1999. The Charlotte Observer will receive the award April 16 in Cambridge, Mass.The Miami Herald's 2008 investigation into the Florida mortgage crisis has been awarded the Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Award for investigative reporting, one of the most prestigious prizes in all of journalism.
Miami Herald reporters Rob Barry, Jack Dolan and Matthew Haggman will formally receive the $25,000 Ursula and Gilbert Farfel prize April 24 during an awards ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.The journalists teamed up on The Miami Herald's three-part series "Borrowers Betrayed," which revealed that weak state regulations in Florida allowed thousands with criminal histories to peddle home loans -- costing consumers millions. The series led to changes in state laws, policies and personnel."At a time when the journalism profession is undergoing tremendous change, it's reassuring to see so much outstanding work by its practitioners," said Mike Philips, Scripps Howard Foundation president in the March 13 press release announcing the 2008 award winners.McClatchy Moscow Bureau Chief Tom Lasseter was a finalist in the investigative reporting category for his work last year on "Guantanamo: Beyond the Law," an eight-month investigation into the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention camp published by the McClatchy Washington Bureau.Sacramento Bee reporter Tom Knudson was also named a finalist in the environmental reporting category for "Sierra Warming," a look into climate change and its impact on the Sierra Nevada mountain range.The complete list of award winners and finalists is available at the Scripps Howard Foundation website.Coverage of a melee at a local high school last year earned three Miami Herald reporters the top prize for "Breaking or Hard News" in the 2008 National Awards for Education Reporting.
The Education Writers Association, the national professional association of education reporters and writers, this week announced the 2008 winners of its prestigious annual awards contest.Miami Herald reporters Kathleen McGrory, Tenton Daniel and David Ovalle received the top prize in the breaking or hard news category for newspapers with more than 100,000 circulation for their coverage of a February 2008 protest by students at Miami Edison Senior High School that turned violent with dozens of police cars responding to the campus brawl and more than two dozen students arrested.The Bellingham Herald's sports section and the combined sports section of The Beaufort Gazette and The Island Packet were named among the best in the nation for their size and recognized Feb. 25 with the "Triple Crown" distinction from the Associated Press Sports Editors' annual competition.
Those sports sections won top 10 honors for daily, Sunday and special sections in their respective circulation categories. They were among 11 McClatchy newspapers honored in the annual competition for sports sections and writing.Other McClatchy papers receiving awards or honorable mentions were: The Wichita Eagle, the Idaho Statesman, The Kansas City Star, The News Tribune, the Lexington Herald-Leader, The Fresno Bee, The State and The Charlotte Observer.The APSE includes member newspapers from across the United States and Canada. It conducts annual writing and section contests among sports departments of similar circulations.The Beaufort Gazette-Island Packet sports section won the Triple Crown in the newly formed 20,000-and-under circulation category and narrowly missed the same honor in the 40,000-and-under competition. The Beaufort Gazette and The Island Packet sports departments were combined in July and the newspapers were allowed to place a single entry in the 20,000-and-under competition since the merger occurred halfway through the year and compete under The Island Packet name in the 40,000-and-under division.The results marked the first-ever awards for The Beaufort Gazette in the national contest. The Island Packet has won more than 20 APSE section and writing awards since 2000. The Beaufort Gazette-Island Packet sports section also won four writing awards in the contest, three of which went to assistant sports editor Justin Jarrett in the best individual showing in the history of either paper.APSE, in an attempt to honor more small-circulation newspapers, started a 20,000-and-under section competition for work published in 2008, and The Beaufort Gazette-Island Packet finished in the top 10 in all three sports section categories – daily, Sunday and special sections. The combined section placed in the top 10 in the Sunday and special sections category in the 40,000-and-under division, but missed the cut among daily sections, finishing out of the top 10 with an honorable mention.Barring a dramatic change in circulation of The Beaufort Gazette and The Island Packet, their combined sports section will continue to compete in the 40,000-and-under division but will not be eligible for the 20,000-and-under competition next year.The Bellingham Herald newspaper in Washington won the APSE Triple Crown competing in the 40,000-and-under division.Other McClatchy winners include:** The State of Columbia, S.C., which was named among the 10 best daily and Sunday sports sections in the country for newspapers with circulations from 40,000 to 100,000. The Idaho Statesman received honorable mention in both categories in addition to honorable mention in the special sections category.** The Wichita Eagle, which was named among the 10 best Sunday sports sections in the country for newspapers with circulations between 40,000 to 100,000. The Eagle received honorable mention in the special sections category.** The Charlotte Observer and The News Tribune, which were named among the 10 best daily sports sections in the country for newspapers with circulations from 100,000 to 250,000. The Observer also was named among the 10 best Sunday sports sections in the nation for its size and received an honorable mention in the special sections category.** The Kansas City Star and The Miami Herald, which were named among the 10 best daily sports sections in the nation among newspapers with circulations of 250,000 and above. The Kansas City Star was named among the 10 best for special sections and The Miami Herald was named among the 10 best for Sunday sections.A Charlotte Observer investigation into the multibillion-dollar poultry industry has received one of the country's most prestigious awards from the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
The ASNE announced Feb. 22 that "The Cruelest Cuts" -- reported by staffers Ames Alexander, Kerry Hall, Franco Ordoñez, Ted Mellnik and Peter St. Onge -- took first place in the Local Accountability Reporting category."The Cruelest Cuts" -- which also was produced by more than a dozen editors, photographers, designers and others – told readers how N.C.-based House of Raeford Farms illustrated problems rampant in the poultry industry. The investigation showed how the company blocked some injured workers from seeing doctors and hauled others back to work hours after surgery for broken bones and severed fingers.Most of those workers were immigrants who were reluctant to complain for fear of being deported or fired. Observer reporters interviewed more than 200 current and former workers for the investigation."The Observer's project revealed the difficult world of the poultry plant through excellent writing and determined reporting," said judge Peter Bhatia, executive editor of The Oregonian in Portland and a former president of ASNE."It is a superb example of the revelatory reporting that is unique to newspapers and vital to our society."Less than a week after "The Cruelest Cuts" was published, federal lawmakers called for hearings to address issues the series raised. The federal Government Accountability Office is now studying whether regulators are doing enough to crack down on companies that try to hide workplace injuries, and lawmakers have added staffing at the N.C. Labor Department."Newspapers can step in and give people a voice when other institutions have failed," said Observer Editor Rick Thames. "The poultry industry didn't police itself on the abuse of these workers. State agencies in North and South Carolina also failed them. This team of Observer journalists called out the problem, and we are very proud of their work. Hopefully, this reporting will lead to safer workplaces for all workers in our state."The Observer will receive the award at the ASNE convention April 27 in Chicago, and the "Cruelest Cuts" stories will appear in “Best Newspaper Writing 2009,” the annual compilation of ASNE-winning work published by the Poynter Institute of St. Petersburg, Fla.
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